Phage display and pharmacogenomics

Surface display of genetic diversity is a technology that can produce specific binding agents for almost any target molecule, and is especially well suited for making agents that bind specific proteins. Until now, pharmacogenomic studies have followed the response of cells to drugs and other agents by tracking the mRNAs that encode the proteins of interest, because it is relatively easy to produce nucleic acid ligands once the gene sequence is known. Nevertheless, in some cases, direct tracking of the proteins is preferred. Phage display of peptides and proteins (especially antibodies) is now able to provide the large number of specific binding agents needed to track proteins in pharmacogenomic studies.